Latest study reveals that men who take anti-inflammatory drug such as aspirin can possibly reduce the risk of getting prostate cancer.
Millions of Americans take low dosage of aspirin on a daily basis to prevent strokes and heart attacks. Healthcare professionals indicate that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as aspirin can thin the blood, which makes it easier for the heart to pump blood. A daily aspirin dose is also said to reduce the risk of developing colon, lung, breast and prostate cancer.
Data presented at a meeting held by American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) on Monday, Sept. 29, revealed the benefits of daily dosage of aspirin in men.
"Studies have shown that aspirin administration for five or more years reduces the incidence of all cancers by 38 percent. This benefit is seen even at the low doses of aspirin [e.g., 81 mg daily]," says Pierre Massion, professor of medicine and cancer biology in the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee.
The study involved more than 6,300 men and 50 percent of the participants took aspirin or other NSAID, while the rest were not on any medicines. After four years, the researchers found that men who took aspirin or other NSAID had 13 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer and 17 percent reduced risk of developing other forms of dangerous tumors, when compared to men who did not take any drug.
A separate study by the researchers at the Duke University also reaffirmed the benefits of aspirin to reduce prostate cancer. Adriana Vidal, an assistant professor of urology at Duke University, explains that an anti-inflammatory medicine such as aspirin helps men to lower the levels of prostate-specific antigen, or PSA. An increased level of PSA is associated with elevated risk of developing prostate cancer.
A previous study also revealed the benefits of taking aspirin daily and indicates that if people between the age of 50 and 65 years start consuming aspirin daily for at least 10 years, then the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular diseases will reduce by 9 percent in men and about 7 percent in women. The study also suggests that the total mortality rate may also be lowered by 4 percent if aspirin is taken daily for about 20 years.
